IT Carlow 0-7
DCU 0-14
February 11th, 2016
DCU’s Sigerson Cup side has booked a place in this year’s semi final after a comprehensive 0-14 to 0-7 point win over the Institute of Technology Carlow.
The defending champions will face the University of Ulster Jordanstown in the semi final after they saw off St. Mary’s University College Belfast in the quarter final.
Heading into the tie as overwhelming favourites, DCU started the game off slow with Carlow’s Chris Conroy converting a number of early frees to give the hosts the lead. DCU would rally through Monaghan’s Shane Carey and Mayo’s Diarmuid O’Connor as both sides played out a cagey first half.
Carlow’s Chris Healy did knock over a nice point from play to start the game but most of the hosts’ opportunities came from the ground, with Conroy kicking a number of frees to keep them level heading towards the break. Carlow enjoyed strong patches of possession but ultimately struggled to break down a tight and smothering DCU defence as the champions looked to attack Carlow on the counter attack.
DCU broke through the middle a number of times throughout the first half with Dublin midfielder Shane Carthy at the heart of the visitors’ counter attacks. O’Connor added two first half scores, including one right on the stroke of halftime, to ensure DCU would enter the break with the scores tied at 0-5.
The second half started just as the first half ended, with Niall Moyna’s side continuing to break through a tiring Carlow defence. The visitors got off to a flying start, adding four points within the first ten minutes of the restart; three of which were from Carey.
Conroy would add a further two points from frees but it was all DCU from that point on, as the Dublin side cruised to a comfortable victory with Enda Smith, David Mannix and Stephen O’Brien all tagging on late scores to ensure DCU a spot in the semis.
The win brings DCU one step closer to repeating as Sigerson Cup champions, a fact Coach Niall Moyna is all too aware of.
“Yeah it hasn’t been done I think in about 20 years,” said Moyna after the game.
“We’re going up against the hosts and the favourites, a loaded team, but it’s a challenge. As I said to the guys a few moments ago, if you’re not in, you can’t win, so at least we’re there and we’ll give it 100%.”
DCU: B Flynn, J Smith, K Feely, S Attride, K Daly, C Moynagh, C Begley, S Carthy, C McGonagle, M Quinn, D Byrne, D O’Connor (0-2), S Carey (0-7), C McGraynor, E Smith (0-2).
Subs: S O’Brien (0-1) for C McGonagle, E Smith for C McGraynor, D Mannix (0-2) for S Carthy, C McHugh for S Carey, R Lyons for C Moynagh (BC), C Breheny for E Smith.
IT Carlow: R Samson; I Ilunga, T Featherston, T O’Connell, T Dever, D Dunne, D Smyth, M Russell, W Young; C Conroy (0-5), K Ryan, C Ward, C Healy (0-1), M Sherry, M Hurley (0-1). Sub: B McHugh for M Hurley.
Referee – A Nolan.
Jack O’Toole
Image credit: Sportsfile
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